“It’s just a normal skill,” she mumbled to herself. “All you have to do is use it.”
Piper activated [Subjugator] and a new menu appeared.
Please choose the demon you wish to summon:
- Imp
- Shadeling
- Dreadhulk
She furrowed her brow at seeing three options. Then she remembered that during her previous visit to the Infernal Realm she’d defeated an imp and a shadeling. Apparently, the skill had been active before she’d received it, just like her [Demonic Blood] one.
Piper wanted to experiment with summoning the other demons, but right now she needed a ride. And fast. She selected Dreadhulk from the menu, and her mana poured out in a torrent, leaving her reserves almost completely empty. But a second later, a new dreadhulk materialized next to the sinking one she stood on.
Ding! Your racial skill, Subjugator has reached level 2.
Malkazar tipped his hat back. “Very impressive.”
“Not really,” she said. “It took almost all of my mana to summon that thing.”
“Well, it is a very large demon.”
Piper rolled her eyes and rushed over to the railing. She realized the distance between the two ships was too great to jump.
Turning to look at Astaroth, she motioned at the gap. “Do you think you can help me get over there?”
The gaunt demon regarded her with his eyeless face. “Why not merely order your minion to come alongside our vessel?”
“Oh, right,” she replied, her cheeks turning pink. Why hadn’t she thought of doing that?
“Dreadhulk!” she called out through cupped hands. “Would you please come closer?”
Astaroth shook his head. “A simple mental order would have sufficed.”
Piper scowled at the bony demon. “How was I supposed to know that?”
She watched as the summoned demonic ship altered course and came alongside them. She couldn’t help but think it was weird that she was standing on the corpse of the ship she’d just summoned. But of all the strange things she’d seen since arriving in this world, it barely ranked in the top ten.
When the vessel's sides scraped together, she placed one hand on her quiver to steady it and then leaped across. She landed lightly on the deck and took a few steps before finding her footing. A moment later, Malkazar vaulted across, followed by Astaroth floating into place at her side.
A deafening roar shook the air and made her jerk her gaze over toward the other dreadhulks; the demonic fleet was almost upon them. They needed to get out of here immediately.
“Go!” she called out. “Move away from the ships as fast as you can!”
“Did I not inform you mental orders would be enough?” Astaroth drawled. “I see you are still slow even for a human.”
Piper placed a hand on her hip and glared at the beanpole of a demon. “I thought you were going to be nice to me?”
“It’s proving to be more difficult than expected.”
She fought down a grin at his response. For some reason, she preferred when her guide was crabby. His attempts at being overly nice had creeped her out.
The ship they were standing on surged forward, the prow rising slightly as it sped away from the other dreadhulks. Burning spray filled the air as the ship pierced an enormous bubble on the ocean’s surface,
Piper activated [Demonic Blood] as she was showered with the burning fluid. Droplets scorched her face and exposed arms. Thankfully, the pain quickly faded as her skill went to work.
As the ship cut through the black waves, the distance between them and the other dreadhulks slowly grew. No one spoke for the next quarter-hour as they tried to lose the pursuing ships.
The tension became palpable as a far larger dreadhulk neared the rear of the vessel and opened its massive maw to swallow them whole. At the last second, Piper ordered the ship to veer to the right, narrowly missing the gaping maw.
After that, they pulled away from the pursuing fleet. Either the demons grew tired of the chase, or simply became exhausted, because more and more of them broke off their pursuit. Soon, they were alone on the vast, boiling expanse of the ocean.
Once she was sure they were safe, Piper slumped down against the railing, a flood of relief pouring through her veins. Back in Kalmyros, she’d been petrified of drowning in normal water. To drown in burning hot pitch would be so, so much worse.
Peering up at Astaroth, she let out a sigh. “I guess we should do the classes.”
“If you wish.”
“I do wish.”
She gritted her teeth, knowing what was coming next. The last time she’d received class options had been incredibly painful. And she had a feeling it would be no different this time.
Astaroth lifted his bony finger, and his hand became wreathed in dark flames. The magic surged forward into Piper’s mind like a burning knife slicing through flesh.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Searing agony exploded in her head as writing slowly formed in her vision. After a few seconds, the pain faded slightly, and she could read her options.
Available Classes
Shadowflame Temptress (Legendary)
Standing at the center of vast demonic legions, the Shadowflame Temptress crushes enemies through absolute control and inevitable doom. She erases enemy’s spells, their attributes, and even their will to fight.
+14 free attribute points per level.
Infernal Nun (Mythic)
Battling at the forefront of demonic armies, the infernal nun fights with fists, claws, and tail to defeat her opponents. She can deliver lightning-fast strikes and then retreat before an opponent can even respond. Her link with the Infernal Realm allows her to summon hordes of demonic reinforcements to fight at her side.
+12 free attribute points per level.
Abyssal Archer (Epic)
Stalking the battlefield unseen, the Abyssal Archer turns silence and darkness into lethal abilities. She avoids combat, slaying her enemies with a single unseen shot. Shadows bind to her drawstring, warping distance, bending angles, and striking from impossible directions.
+10 free attribute points per level.
Trickster Duelist (Uncommon)
A master of illusion, the trickster duelist is an infuriating opponent to fight against. She is never where she appears and can often strike unseen from the shadows. Even the ground becomes unreliable, as she can hide the terrain under layers of illusions, making her opponents question if anything is real.
+ 4 free attribute points per level.
Piper quickly read over her options, pleased to see that she’d received a legendary class. No one she’d met yet even had a mythic one, never mind a legendary one.
She hurriedly read the rest of the options, recognizing two classes from last time. Both Infernal Nun and Trickster Duelist had been offered during her previous visit to the Infernal Realm. Thankfully, the Stick Reaper class wasn’t on the list, probably since she’d removed the skill.
Piper quickly discarded the Trickster Duelist class from the list of options. No matter how good it sounded, she didn’t want to saddle herself with an uncommon class.
That left Shadowflame Temptress, Infernal Nun, and Abyssal Archer. She had to admit that she found herself drawn to the archer class. Most of her fighting style revolved around being a stealthy archer. And this class made it sound like it would improve it in every way.
Still, the other two classes were Legendary and Mythic. She didn’t want to limit herself in the future by only choosing an epic class.
“Astaroth,” she said, making the towering demon turn around from his position at the railing. “How much of a difference is there between an epic class and a legendary one?”
“In terms your simple human mind would comprehend?”
She glared at him. “So you’re just giving up on being nice completely?”
“I’m afraid you made it most difficult to remain amiable.”
“Just answer the question.”
“I suppose it would be the difference between an imp and a harroth.”
“Really? It’s that big a difference?”
Astaroth nodded. “The attribute points are an insignificant part of the entire class rarity structure. The spells offered to legendary classes are exponentially more powerful than those of a lower one. However, it is unlikely you will ever receive a class such as that.”
“But I have one right now,” Piper quirked her eyebrow. “It’s called Shadowflame Temptress.”
Astaroth froze and cocked his head to the side. “Are you certain? I see no such class in my list.”
“It’s right here.” Piper poked her finger into the air at the writing. “Is it good?”
“I would strongly suggest that you take the Infernal Nun class.”
Malkazar walked over. “Come on now, skinny. Someone, or something, wanted her to take a legendary class. Why not let her live a little?”
“Such a class would mark her as a target for all demons in the realm. Any who can neutralize spells and skills is considered an existential threat to those with power.”
“More of a threat than she already is to the established order?”
“I only wish for her to survive,” Astaroth continued. “Are you able to say the same, my lord?”
“Watch yourself,” Malkazar grated. “I need your help at the moment, but that won’t last forever.”
Piper stomped her foot. “Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?”
“I think our slumbering friend intervened to give you a class,” Malkazar said. “But it’s up to you if you want to take it. Anyway, I have no idea how it will work. I’ve only ever known one demon who had that class in the past.”
She read the description again and frowned. The class sounded incredibly powerful, and she liked the idea of being able to shut down spells and skills. Maybe she could take more people prisoner without having to harm them.
But then again, she would have to fight a demon somewhere who already had the class. That meant they could effectively remove her powers. How would she win against someone like that?
She reread the Infernal Nun class, leaning toward taking it. Not only would it fit well with her use of tail and claws, but she could also summon demonic reinforcements. A few dozen real demons would send the sister of the Dawnward Host running if they ever tried to take her prisoner again.
“I think I’ll take the Infernal—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the world rumbled as something vast shifted. In the distance, she could make out the shape of the immense, slumbering dragon rising above the horizon. Elaraxa tilted her head, masonry falling from the great walls on her back, and for a brief instant, her eyes flickered open. The red irises flared with impossible power as she regarded them across the vast ocean.
Then, the eyes closed again, and the dragon resumed its slumber. In its wake, great waves appeared on the horizon, speeding out across the ocean. When they reached the ship, they were probably in for a rough time.
“I think she wants me to take the Shadowflame Temptress class…”
Astaroth nodded sagely. “Such appears to be the case.”
“I choose the Shadowflame Temptress class.”
“A wonderful choice.”
“So, where’s the demon I’m supposed to fight?”
Astaroth extended his arm to point to the horizon. “The Holy System states that the demon you must defeat is in that direction.”
Piper blinked as she peered across the waves. The only thing in that direction was the massive dragon. A cold sweat broke out on her body as she came to the realization of what he meant. “You don’t mean…”
“The only demon to possess that class was Elaraxa herself. Though our time together has been brief, I will mourn you after she’s consumed your soul.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?” she gasped.
“It is not my place to go against my mistress.”
Malkazar leaned against the railing. “I wouldn’t worry about it overly much. Elaraxa has been mostly dead for millenium. If she wants to waste what little remains of her power fighting you, I say let her. But I have a feeling she won’t want to hurt you, anyway.”
“Why exactly is that?”
Malkazar regarded her with his dark eyes, a smirk on his face. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re her daughter. Before Thronefall, she must have hidden your soul away on Earth. I imagine your time there was pretty unpleasant.”
Piper stood there frozen, her stomach twisting. “How did you know I had an unpleasant time on Earth? Wait, how do you even know about Earth?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve never heard about demons on your planet.”
“In stories and stuff!” she exclaimed. “Are you telling me they’re real? And how did you know I had an unpleasant time?”
Malkazar shrugged. “I imagine that much power would have warped a human body. Were your limbs bent and twisted? Perhaps you had a crippling disease?”
“I had a disease,” she said numbly. “I… died from it.”
“You can thank Elaraxa for that. Me, I would never do anything that cruel to a child.”
Piper stood there, rooted in the middle of the deck. Her mind churned as she tried to process everything she’d been told. Was her family really her own? Or had Elaraxa simply stuffed a demon soul into her body without any consideration of what it would do to her? Was all of her suffering truly the result of the dragon?
There was only one person capable of answering all her questions. And it was the demonic dragon slumbering in the distance. She mentally ordered the ship to head in the direction of Elaraxa. Once she reached the dragon, she would finally get some answers.